The big ship traveled from southwest to northeast. After about two hours, it merged with a wider river on the left. It should undoubtedly be Xia Jiang.
Xiajiang River is very wide, and it should be three miles open here. The rolling river flows eastward, with mountains on both sides. Although there were no defensive soldiers on the river, for the sake of safety, the ship, under the command of the captain, deliberately sailed on the side closer to Daxia.
When asked why, it turned out that it was on a large river and there was a possibility of encountering water thieves. Just like a rogue horse in the forest. In the Daxia Dynasty, the country was peaceful and the people were peaceful, the people were prosperous, and there were few water thieves. Most of the water thieves came from the turbulent and disintegrated Jin Dynasty.
From Guangnan County to Wushan County, the north and south are Daxia's territory, so it is safe.
In order to save money, the six people only opened three guest rooms, all on the left side of the first floor. It was still the old rule, the two elders lived in one room, Yuan Luo, Yuan Yu, and Yuan Zhen lived in the same room, and Qingyang Yanran lived in the same room. The original price was for two people per room, with two three-foot beds per room, one quilt, one door and one window, but nothing else. The total boat fare was enough, and the boatman didn’t say much. I just don’t know how Yuan Luo and the three of them can sleep peacefully.
The six of them were very excited at first, so they crowded into a guest room, talking and laughing, appreciating the different scenery they had seen in the past.
The boat sailed for a day and arrived at Zhi County Pier when it got dark.
Tourists coming to Zhi County come one after another. The big ship has to be anchored at the pier overnight and will sail again the next morning, so there are also tourists who get off the ship to play.
According to the Taoist "Biography of Immortals", there was an alchemist who practiced in Pingdu Mountain in Zhi County for 200 years and soared in the daytime. The book said: "In the north of Xinye Mountain, I received the key to the Hejun Shendan, and passed away after attaining enlightenment. It is a famous mountain. If anyone gets it, he will be classified as a real person. If he goes back and forth, he will be in the world." The four disciples heard Qingxuan talk about it. These allusions made me clamor to go and see them. The ship will stay here for the night anyway. Simply take the disciples to have some fun.
The six people got their boarding tokens from the boss of the ship and then disembarked.
The county government of Zhi County is on the north bank of the Xia River, and Pingdu Mountain is located in the northeast of the county government. The six people searched along the road. After walking for a while, they saw a mountain with a radius of several miles and about a hundred feet high.
This mountain peak looks very ordinary. Compared with the three thousand mountains in Xishu County and the numerous Mingchuan Mountains in Chuyue County, it is very inconspicuous. This also aroused the interest of six people.
The six of them continued walking, and within a few hundred steps, they saw an ancient mountain gate. The mountain gate is more than two feet high and one foot wide. The writing on it is peeled off and cannot be read clearly.
Go through the mountain gate and go up the stairs. After walking more than a hundred steps, a wooden temple appeared. The palace is about five feet wide and has two entrances, the front is shorter and the back is higher. There are two side halls on the left and right. Very small. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, the temple has become dilapidated. Fortunately, pilgrims often repair it, so the temple does not leak from wind or rain.
The six people passed through the front hall, walked forward for more than ten steps, and saw the main hall. There is a letter in the main hall: "Longevity". In the hall, there is a clay sculpture of a scholar in white clothes, about ten feet tall. He is holding an open clay sculpture book in his left hand and stroking his long beard with his right hand, standing in the hall. This scholar should be the Taoist who ascended during the day mentioned in "The Legend of Immortals".
How could a Taoist dress like a scholar? Everyone didn't know what was going on.
In front of the scholar is a three-legged incense burner, with light smoke curling up inside. Pilgrims come in twos and threes, and there is an endless stream. After kneeling down and worshiping, incense is burned inside.
There is a couplet on the left and right of the scholar: "I ordered Tang Yu to catch the good Tao of the Han Dynasty and fly to the immortal capital in the sky. He served the holy master and taught him the essential secrets and magical elixirs to live in the world and enjoy endless enjoyment."
Everyone could not understand the meaning of this couplet and could only make a rough guess. The general idea is that the scholar was appointed by heaven, born in the Han Dynasty, loves Taoism, and wants to cultivate Taoism and ascend to the immortal world. Because he served the sage master, he was able to pass on the key to the divine elixir, and finally attained enlightenment and became an immortal, enjoying the realm of infinity.
When the six people saw this couplet, they all looked at each other speechlessly after thinking about it secretly. This scholar is actually similar to Master Tianchenzi. Then who is this saintly master? "The Legend of Immortals" only records "Hejun". Who is Hejun? unknown.
The Hall of Immortality is not big, so six people entered. Out of respect, they kowtowed to the scholar in white, walked around inside, and then filed out.
"Squeak - twist -"
The six people were preparing to leave when an old man came out from the side hall on the left.
"Six - Immortals stay here." When the old Taoist lowered his voice and spoke, the six of them were startled. Could it be that his identity was exposed?
"I've met the Taoist Master." The six of them bowed to the old Taoist.
"Can the six immortals come into the side hall to talk about it?" the old Taoist asked.
"Please." Qing Yi and Qing Xuan pondered slightly and decided to go in to see what kind of medicine was in the gourd.
The side hall on the left is not large. There is a table upon entering, and above the table is a darkened portrait. Inside the portrait is still the scholar in white enshrined in the Hall of Eternal Life. It's just that the posture is different. The scholar in white is sitting cross-legged, holding the Ziwu Jue with both hands, holding the yin behind and embracing the yang. On the right side of the scholar, there is a short case drawn. On top of the short case, there is a pot of wine and a scroll of bamboo slips. The whole portrait should be four feet high. Under the table are several futons.
On the left side of the side hall, there is a closed door, which must be the living room of the old Taoist.
On the right hand side, there is also a door. This door has been opened. The old Taoist invites everyone to come in and sit on a few chairs against the wall. The old Taoist is on top.
"I dare to ask the six immortals, where is the fairyland?" Seeing the six people sitting down, the old Taoist asked a disciple to watch the tea.
"How does the Taoist master know that we are Taoists?" Qingxuan asked warily.
"Immortal, don't be surprised. Just now I was meditating under the statue of the Patriarch, and suddenly I saw that the empty chamber inside the Statue of the Patriarch was white. Seeing this strange phenomenon, I walked out. When I saw the six Immortals just leaving the Hall of Eternal Life, I stepped forward and asked. ." When the old Taoist saw the Taoist standing up, he hurriedly explained.
"This is happening." Qing Yi and Qing Xuan were surprised.
"It's absolutely true!" Seeing that the two of them didn't believe it, the old Taoist almost swore.
Qing Yi and Qing Xuan walked outside and looked carefully at the portrait of the scholar in white, followed by Yuan Yu and the other four.
After looking at it for a moment, I couldn't see any clues.
Qing Yi kowtowed to the portrait.
When everyone saw Tsing Yi kowtow, as expected, the portrait of the scholar in white slowly became brighter, and after about one breath, it dimmed again.
"Have all the immortals seen it?!"
"My Changsheng Sect has been passed down from generation to generation, and I am already the eighteenth generation. After more than eight hundred years, the Holy Ancestor has finally appeared!"
When the old Taoist saw his ancestor appear again, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Has it never appeared before?" Qingxuan asked, as the six of them found it unbelievable.
"It has never appeared! Old Master, I entered the Changsheng Sect when I was ten years old, and I am already ninety-three this year. I have never seen such a vision! I have never heard of it from my master or ancestor."
The Tao does not ask about longevity. The six of them saw that this old man was already in his old age, but they didn't know his exact age and it was hard to ask. At this time, the old Taoist said it himself, and it turned out that he was already in his prime years.
"It's really amazing." Yuan Luo and others felt even more amazing. Even when you kneel down and worship a portrait, strange things happen.
"The ancestors of the past generations have passed down word of mouth that the Holy Ancestor ascended in the daytime outside the Hall of Eternal Life eight hundred years ago. It is indeed true." The old Taoist was still excited.
"It's just that since the Holy Ancestor, our sect has no immortals. Not to mention immortals, there are no zombies or ghost immortals." The old Taoist looked lonely after the longing.
The six people only said that "The Legend of Immortals" is just a legend, but after the old Taoist said this, it seems that there was an immortal who ascended in the daytime in Pingdu Mountain 800 years ago, and it turned out to be true.
"The six immortals must be gods, right?" the old Taoist suddenly realized.
"Does the old Taoist priest have a successor?"
Qingxuan couldn't bear it. The truth cannot be told to the old Taoist Priest. The old Taoist Priest is already old and frail, so even telling him is useless. It's better not to say anything. But if there is a descendant, I can reveal a few things.
"This tea-watching disciple is the only successor of the old Taoist. Fang Jing came here and met six immortal elders." The old Taoist called the Taoist boy who was waiting quietly in front of him.
"Fang Jing has met six immortals and wishes them long blessings."
The little Taoist boy will kneel down after saying this.
"No gifts, no gifts!" Qing Yi hurriedly supported him.
"Fang Jing was fifteen years old. Eight years ago, I was traveling in Chuyue County and met Fang Jing, an orphan. Seeing his cleverness and rapport, I brought him back to the Changsheng Sect. After three years of testing, he became my teacher," the old Taoist said. .
He only accepted disciples when he was over eighty years old. This old Taoist is really big-hearted and is not afraid of the Changsheng Sect losing its inheritance.
When Qingxuan Qingyi took a look, he was indeed handsome and showed talent.
"Old Taoist Priest, may I ask if the Changsheng Sect has any skills passed down to the world?" Yuan Zhen asked suddenly.
"Yuanzhen, don't be rude!"
Seeing that Yuan Zhen, who was usually sensible, asked such an ignorant question today, Qingxuan scolded him.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter." The old Taoist priest smiled awkwardly, "Little Immortal Chief, my sect has some techniques passed down from ancient times, but they are all secular swordsmanship and body-building techniques."
Seeing that the old Taoist Master had answered, Qingxuan didn't know what Yuan Zhen meant by asking, so he didn't continue to blame Yuan Zhen.
"Since the Holy Ancestor of your sect is an immortal who ascended during the day, he must have a method to become an immortal. According to what I said, the inheritance seems to be broken!"
"Yuanzhen——" Qingxuan turned back to look at Yuanzhen. No matter what, the old Taoist priest is also an elder, and Yuan Zhen is making irresponsible remarks about other people's sect affairs, which is really inappropriate.
"Master, this disciple realizes his mistake!" Before Yuan Zhen could finish speaking, he was glared at by his master and was too frightened to continue.
"Very good."
"What the little immortal said is right! Our Changsheng Sect has really lost its inheritance! Alas!" Seeing Yuan Zhen's young age, the old Taoist priest saw the problem and couldn't help but burst into tears again.
"Actually - it's not necessarily that the inheritance is broken, it's just that you don't know where the inheritance is." Yuan Zhen hesitated, mumbling in a voice as thin as a mosquito.
"Yuanzhen! What did you do-?" Qingxuan finally couldn't bear it anymore and shouted angrily at Yuanzhen. What happened to this child today? Why did he keep saying irritating words to each other? Qingxuan was so angry that he couldn't continue in the middle of his sentence.
"Master, please just let me finish what I'm saying. Don't hold back your discomfort." Yuan Zhen looked at the master with a pleading look on his face.
"Okay, just say it. But don't be presumptuous!" Qingxuan calmly said to Yuan Zhen angrily.
"Master, obey!"
"Old Taoist Priest, the clay statue of the Holy Ancestor in the Noble Sect's Eternal Life Hall seems to be different from the portrait of the Holy Ancestor in the side hall."
"Oh? What's the difference?" The old Taoist priest was surprised. My sect has been inherited for 800 years, and no one has found any difference among the 18 generations of sect members. As soon as this little fairy came, he noticed the difference. Is there really a difference?
"Old Taoist Priest, I actually don't know what's different. I just vaguely feel that something is wrong." Yuan Zhen answered honestly.
"In that case, let me figure it out in detail in the future." The old Taoist priest returned. But he smiled bitterly in his heart, "I'm afraid this little immortal is just trying to make fun of me."
After hearing this, Qingxuan almost became furious. Sure enough, he still has a young mind!
Feeling sorry again, he looked at each other and his senior brother nodded.
"Old Taoist Priest, it is truly a blessing to go inside today to see the portrait of the immortal ancestor of the Changsheng Sect."
"If you need help in the future, you can go to the Three Thousand Mountains of Xishu County to find the Qingshan Sect. We are Taoists of the Qingshan Sect. My Taoist name is Qingxuan, so please mention my name. Say goodbye to me!"
"The sect is not prosperous and the hospitality is not good. I hope the Qingshan Sect Immortal will not blame you."
The old Taoist priest bowed his head to the six people. Seeing that everyone was leaving, it was inconvenient to keep them. Although there are strange images in the portrait of the Holy Ancestor, I still don’t know what it means.
After saying that, Qing Xuanqing turned around and walked out of the side hall, followed by Yuan Yu, Yuan Luo and Qingyang Yanran. Yuan Zhen winked at the old Taoist priest, pointed with his right hand in the direction of the Hall of Eternal Life outside the window, and then pointed with his left hand. Then he turned around and went out. As I walked, I recited the couplet from the Palace of Eternal Life aloud: "
He ordered Tang Yu to arrest the Han Dynasty.
A good way to reach the immortal capital in the sky,
Serve the Holy Master and teach you the key,
The divine elixir can save the world and enjoy endless enjoyment. "
And he emphasized the words "teaching key points" very seriously.
…
